The Day Azeroth Leaked
by LivingInAFandom
Summary: Jesika, an 18 year old girl from Colorado, comes face to face with a Blood Elf during her daily jog. Her knowledge of what is and is not fantasy is shaken to the core as she follows her new elven companion through a portal to Azeroth and searches for answers in a world she previously thought to be make-believe. (contains: adult language, violence, sexual implications [later])
1. Chapter 1: The Elf & The Portal

The Day Azeroth Leaked

***Author's Note: In this chapter, italicized text within spoken dialog represents the Orcish language being both spoken AND understood. All words initially italicized for emphasis should instead be in bold, but my word processor is not cooperating with me so if there are errors, please let me know. Enjoy!***

Chapter One

"I'll be back around six," Jesika told her mother over the phone as she pulled on a sports bra and some spandex running shorts, "and I'm taking Duke with me." The excitable Dutch Shepherd puppy bounded about the house with his leash in his mouth, eager to go on his daily run. "Alright, alright, I'm hurrying," Jes chuckled as he traded the leash for one of her shoes and dropped it at her feet. Once the laces were tied securely, she clipped on Duke's dropped leash, bid her mother good-bye, and jogged out the door.

It was a wonderful afternoon- the sun's mild heat was made even more pleasant by a cool breeze that drifted through the neighborhood, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the streets were almost empty, making for a soothingly quiet run. Jesika took great joy in her daily exercise, as it provided a chance to clear her head and relieved stress which left her feeling wonderfully euphoric. However, today seemed... different. Duke was reluctant to venture too far from the house the moment they left, and hesitated before every corner as if he expected something was going to leap from the shadows and attack them.

Suddenly, the large pup stopped dead in his tracks.

"Duke, come on buddy, just a little bit longer," Jesika encouraged, tugging at his leash, but he didn't budge. "Duke, come!" she pulled a bit harder, but the normally obedient dog whined and back pedalled. "What's wrong with you, bud? You've been getting more and more skittish... is it this street? Look, there's nothing here," the young girl strolled forward a few feet and turned in a circle. "See?" Instead of calming down like she expected, Duke growled menacingly and bounded to her side, assuming a protective stance in front of her, his teeth bared.

"What the hell has gotten into-" She was cut off as something crashed into her calves from behind and knocked her to the floor. Disoriented, it took her a moment to collect herself, but when she did and looked up to see what had attacked her, her jaw dropped. Standing before her was a strange creature that was as shockingly familiar as it was terrifying.

The beast had four oversized hooves and was covered in a leathery red skin, except for its back, which was lined with coarse black fur. If that wasn't odd enough, protruding from its furry spine, were two tentacle-like appendages and from each shoulder, a horn at least one foot in length. If she didn't know any better, Jes would've classified it as a felhound, but... that wasn't possible. She was left no time to ponder it, for Duke, being a protective dog, launched himself at the beast and clamped down on its flank.

"Duke, no!" she screamed, immediately realizing the danger, but he didn't listen. The felhound- or, whatever it was, squealed in pain and lashed out with its own razor sharp teeth. The sound of her precious pet in pain brought such a fierce anger bubbling to the surface, Jesika pushed aside her fear and bolted to his aid. She yanked Duke back by his collar and smashed her foot into the grievous bite already present on the beast's flank. It fell over with a cry, but was quickly back on its feet and absolutely livid. Jesika's heart pounded in her ears as she desperately thought of what to do while keeping the circling beast at bay and preventing her dog from attacking.

Jes glanced about her surroundings for a few seconds at a time, never taking her eyes from the creature for too long. Her gaze came across a spade someone had left out in their garden, but it was too far away to be anything less than fatally risky- then an idea hit her.

"Come on, you pathetic scrap of meat," She spat, "come and get me!" Jesika took a step forward and that was enough to provoke it. The creature lunged, but she released Duke, dove to the side, and yanked the spade from the grass. For some reason, the thing ignored her dog and went straight for her again, but this time she was ready. It landed heavily on her chest, snapping at her throat. They wrestled for a few tense moments, each looking for an opening but finding none. Duke snarled and clamped down on its tail, providing the perfect distraction. It whirled around to face the pesky dog, but Jesika lunged forward and brought the spade down on its neck. With a final squeal, the creature collapsed in a lifeless heap, blood already pooling beneath its twitching body.

Jesika sat on the curb and ran her fingers through her hair, breathing shakily. _What the hell is going on?_ She wondered as she leaned over and wrenched the spade from the creature's neck. The young girl was absorbed in thought when Duke limped over, whining softly, and placed his head in her lap. "Come on, Bud, we have to get you back to the house and fix up your leg," she stated after inspecting the nasty bite.

They had only just gotten on their feet when a stern voice steadily and quietly demanded, "Kagh." The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and Jesika froze in her tracks- something felt off, and when she turned around, she realized why.

A man stood behind her that most definitely did not belong there; he was muscular but lean, with broad shoulders tense and ready. Lengthy blonde tresses framed his angular, almost feline-esque face, and he kept his lips pursed, faintly glowing green eyes boring into her. Jesika gulped and looked at the arrow he had aimed at her face. "Erm... hello..." she managed to force a greeting, her voice cracking. Her eyes wandered toward his long, pointed ears, then to the large cat that stood snarling at his side.

"Mak'bar abal kah'zi?" He asked firmly, eyes narrowing as he took a step closer. Duke's growls grew louder but she quickly hushed the animal.

"I don't... quite understand what you're saying... but then again, you can't be real. You don't exist. So I'm just... talking... to myself... great. I'm going to go on home and drive myself to the hospital because clearly, I need to be checked out. If you'll excuse me," the young woman said and turned, only to be stopped by the feeling of an arrow pressed into her back.

"Mak'bar. Abal. Kah'zi." he hissed sternly, "Og tah kirze, _human_."

The physical sensation was proof enough. "Oh, sweet Jesus, you're real... A blood elf... wow, okay..." Jesika took a few deep breaths and tried to think back to her favourite game as she turned back around. _Why is there a fucking blood elf standing in front of me? What the hell is going on?_ She thought furiously. _Okay, um, friend. What is friend... okay that was never said in-game... for the horde? Oh yes!_ "Friend! I, friend! Um.. burzum-ishi…?"

The blood elf looked immensely confused and at first and Jes thought it was because she said something wrong, but apparently he'd understood. "Friend?" He questioned with a tilt of his head, slightly lowering his bow.

"Yes! Lok'tar ogar, friend," She said, confident that "victory or death" was as good a greeting as any considering how orcish NPC's said it constantly; she followed her instinct and punctuated the sentence with a deep bow. The man then spoke excitedly in orcish, as if he thought she could understand, but he was sorely mistaken. "Look, I can't understand you, my dog is bleeding, and frankly, I need to sit down. So come with me, my parents shouldn't be home from work for a few hours." Jesika gathered up Duke's leash and gestured toward her house, but the blood elf refused to move. "Friend," she repeated and gently touched his hand before starting home. To her relief, he followed her instead of shooting her in the back.

The duo entered the house with their pets and Jesika immediately hurried into the bathroom, leaving her... guests... and Duke alone in the living room. " _This_ za katil _strange_ goro haneh," she heard the blood elf state with an almost mocking chuckle. She emerged from the bathroom with some first aid supplies and led her injured and whining dog into the tile-floored kitchen where his blood would be easily cleaned up.

"Look, it may be strange to you, but it's home and it's where you might have to stay for a while so you'd better get used to it," Jes snapped, eliciting a soft ' _tut tut'_ from him as he ambled into the kitchen and poked around. She simply rolled her eyes and continued to clean Duke's wounds; the large hound cried and jerked his injured shoulder from her grasp. "Hush now," she crooned affectionately, "it's alright. I know it hurts but bear with me, it's okay, baby... it's okay..." she went on like this for quite some time, murmuring comforting words while gingerly cleaning and bandaging his painful, albeit minor lacerations.

Once she was finished, the man asked, in a much kinder tone than earlier, "...Mak'bar abal kah'zi?"

"You're _not on Azerot_ h anymore, and this _isn't Outlands_ ," Jesika replied smoothly. "You're _on_ a _planet_ called _Earth_ and it's home to _many humans_. We _aren't_ members of the _Alliance_ , despite our race, and to the people of this world, _your people and your world are_ a work of fiction created by a _video game_ company."

"...video… game?"

"Yes, video game. Think of _moving pictures_ you can _control with a machine_." Jesika paused for a moment. "Wait, _you can understand_ me?"

The blood elf furrowed his brow, lifted his hand and brought his thumb and forefinger close together. "Pak."

She assumed that meant small or little and nodded. Once Duke's leg was disinfected and bandaged, she grabbed the dog's bone from the cupboard as a reward. Duke munched happily on his treat, wound forgotten, and Jes grabbed a second bone for the elf's cat. Despite every instinct screaming at her to keep away from it's fang-lined mouth, she offered the bone by hand and, to her surprise, the animal took it as gently as possible. Her blonde-haired guest raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything and continued to amble around her house, poking and prodding her affects.

"So… why are you here, anyway?" Jes ventured as she wiped her hands clean.

The blood elf pursed his lips. " _That is the question before us, isn't it_?" He replied softly. Jesika's face blanched and the first-aid kit clattered to the ground, spilling its remaining contents. He looked at her quizzically as she scrambled to pick everything up. " _What is it?_ "

Jes covered her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes wide. Before speaking, she forced herself to inhale through her nose for a count of three, and exhale through her mouth for another count of three. "Nothing," she breathed calmly, " _I thought I heard my mom's car, but I was mistaken_." The lie came easily enough.

" _Car?_ " The blood elf asked as Jes strolled to the bathroom to put away the First-Aid kit. She was about to answer when he cut in, " _No, nevermind that now. There are more pressing matters._ "

A shudder rattled her spine. Jes knew he wasn't speaking English all of a sudden, so why she could abruptly understand Orcish was beyond her, and it didn't sit right- something was very wrong. "Yes, yes there are," she murmured. Duke whimpered from the other room, snapping her back to her senses. " _Let me rephrase my earlier question:_ how _did you get here_?" Jesika inquired while grabbing some cleaning supplies and making yet another trip to the kitchen.

While she cleaned her pup's blood off of the grey tile, her guest spun a fantastic tale of travel and adventure from Orgimmar to the Blasted Lands in an effort to get to Outlands and visit a friend stationed in Thrallmar. Jesika alternated between hearing English and Orcish, or rather, between understanding Orcish and not understanding.

Jesika piped up: " _So, what? You took the portal to Outlands and popped out here?_ "

The blood elf made a face but nodded. " _More or less,_ " he answered, " _but there_ was _something that happened before I went through_."

Confusion was plain on his face and Jes could almost see his head working through the events, attempting to make sense of it all. "And…? _Go on_ ," she prompted, gesturing to the couch. They settled on opposite sides and the animals wasted no time in joining them. Duke clambered gracelessly onto the cushion beside Jesika, where he laid down and settled his head in her lap with a dramatic huff. The cat was a bit more regal, choosing to retire at his master's feet, but not before requesting that Jes pat his head. She, being unendingly familiar with attention-seeking pets, clearly understood the nudge on her leg and obliged.

Her guest seemed baffled by the affectionate behavior, but made no comment and instead continued his story. " _As I had said, something happened as I rode into the Dark Portal encampment- an earthquake. My hawkstrider threw me as he fell…_ " He muttered, clearly disturbed, " _and I think something happened to the portal._ "

" _What makes you say that?_ "

" _It changed colour- briefly, but I swear I saw it turn red._ "

" _Hm… that_ is _strange_ ," Jes commented. " _You still went through when the quake ended?_ "

The blood elf shrugged. " _I didn't see any reason not to. None of the mages or warlocks seemed concerned about the portal, so…_ " he paused and thought for a moment, then continued, " _Actually, now that I've taken a moment to recall, I do remember everyone acting a bit… odd when I spoke to them_."

" _Anything in particular that stood out to you?_ "

" _No… nothing like that. Something about them just seemed out of sorts._ "

" _Gotcha, just a feeling something was off._ " They sat for a few moments in silence. Jesika's head was spinning with possibilities but after some deep, albeit quick, thinking she made a decision. " _Wait here,_ " she instructed, " _I'll be right back._ " Without another word she hurried to the foyer and up the stairs to her room, Duke hobbling after her.

"This is crazy," she muttered to herself as she pulled a small canvas backpack from her closet. "Absolutely insane, I can't believe…" Her voice trailed off and she ran her fingers through her hair, quickly realizing her hands were shaking. A mischievous grin creeped onto her face as the excitement of the situation dawned on her- she even let out a soft giggle as she inspected the contents of her bug-out bag.

" _What are you doing?"_

Jes jumped, for a moment forgetting about her guest she'd left in the living room. "Getting ready," she stated plainly, returning to her task.

" _Huh?"_

"I said _I'm getting ready. I'm coming with you back to Azeroth and we're going to find out what's going on._ "

The blood elf wrinkled his nose. " _Absolutely not! I will not be seen walking Azeroth beside a human! An untrained and inexperienced human nonetheless! You'll get us both killed."_

Jesika was taken aback by the sudden venom and whirled around, feeling heat rising to her face. " _Well considering you still thought that portal was safe, hardly noticed how strange your allies were acting, and seem to have no idea I've been speaking Orcish to you, I'd say you aren't the brightest bulb in the box,_ " she snapped, " _You need the brains around so stuff it, Legolas; I'm coming._ "

He seemed shocked, perplexed even. Jes stood before him, arms crossed defiantly, and waited for his rebuttal, but all he said was, " _Legolas?_ "

" _It's human joke._ " she explained, " _He's a character in a- you know what? Nevermind, we have more important things to deal with, like getting back to that portal before it closes or something._ " The young woman rummaged through her bag, picking out some extraneous items.

Still stiff from his wounded pride, her companion kneeled down beside the bag and poked around inside. " _Why do you have that?_ " he pried as she swatted his hand away, " _You don't seem to be much of an adventurer._ "

Jes flashed him a fiery glare. " _It's a bug-out bag,_ " she explained tersely. " _My dad was a combat medic for quite some time before my mom got pregnant with me. He insisted that I was raised to be prepared to take care of myself in an emergency. We camped all the time, he enrolled me in some small self defense classes, and taught me as much as I could learn about how to survive in the elements- with tools, and without. Since we live close to a fault line, he made sure everyone in our family had a bug-out bag. It's basically an emergency kit designed to keep you alive for at least 72 hours. I have rations, two changes of clothes, a survival knife, a ridiculous amount of water… just a whole slew of stuff, we'd be here for a while if I tried to list it all off._ "

" _Your father is a smart man, but if he kept you adequately prepared then why are you removing some items? Aren't they all important?_ "

" _There aren't many portals in Azeroth in the middle of nowhere and the portal you came through has to drop us off out of an already existing portal. That being said, we'll likely get spit out in some encampment, city, or town- at least close to one- where we can purchase rations and such. Your world is a violent and dangerous one; I'm prepared to run and fight as needed but I want my pack as light as possible. It's good for hiking and trekking, not so much for running._ "

" _Hm. Fair point._ "

Jesika emptied her bag of most of the food, but kept some MRE's handy just in case. Food could be hunted; her main concerns were water- which she ensured with her Lifestraw® and some purification tablets- and clothing. She attempted to pack for sweltering days and chilly nights, but kept it light with just one long sleeve shirt, a tank top, full-length pants, and some stretchy workout capris. The blood elf beside her raised his eyebrows at the small pile of underwear she accumulated. Suddenly self-conscious, Jes stuffed them in her bag. " _What?_ _I like lace, sue me,_ " she muttered, educing a snort from her elven friend.

He let her finish packing in silence and followed quietly as she went to the bathroom to fill her thermos and canteen. Jesika glanced up at herself in the mirror, carefully wedging her toothbrush and toothpaste amongst her things. It was only then that she saw, despite the pit in her stomach, the stupidly giddy expression on her face… the excited fire alight in the emerald depths of her eyes… and it was thinking how much she would miss this mirror, her bathroom, her home as a whole, that triggered immediate homesickness though she hadn't even left. The reality of the situation smacked her in the gut like a brick and for a moment, she doubted herself. Luckily, a loud snarl from downstairs snapped her out of it.

" _Where is your cat?_ " Jesika asked warily.

" _She is downstairs. I told her to watch the door,_ " he replied with a cock of his head. " _Why do you ask?_ "

The colour drained from Jes' face as she heard a car door shut. " _My mom is home,_ " she gasped. " _Order your cat outside, now! Have him-"_ Jes corrected herself: " _-her wait for us below my bedroom window. Jump or climb down, I don't care which, but get out. I'll be there in just a moment._ "

" _Wh-_ "

" _There is no time for questions!_ " Jesika hissed, shoving him through the doorway, " _Do as I say before my mom meets your cat and gets mauled!"_

He grinded his teeth but did as she bid him. Within seconds, she heard a thud and a whistle outside.

Keys jangled.

"Fuck," she muttered, scrambling for a fistful of hair ties. Duke trailed diligently behind while she ran back to her room and scrawled a note:

Mom,

I'm sorry for leaving without talking to you,

but I know you would try and talk me out of

it and I can't have that. It would be harder to

say goodbye in person. I want you to know that I'm

safe and I love you so, so much. I'm taking Duke

with me. Please tell Dad I love him and give him, and

yourself, lots of hugs and kisses from me. I

promise I'm safe and if I can see you again, I will.

Love you and Dad always,

Jes

"Jes?" Her mom called, just as the pen hit the desk.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Jesika swore under her breath and donned her pack. She scooped up Duke in her arms, swallowing nervously as she glanced out her window. The climb was familiar to her, but never had she done it while holding a 50-pound puppy. Regardless, there was no time to dawdle. Jes steeled herself, wrapped an arm around her pup and began the descent. Although only two stories, it was painful and slow when over encumbered by an animal and the strain on her fingers made her want to scream. About six feet from the bottom, her hand slipped and Duke, feeling the both of them fall, squirmed to get free. Before she toppled too far to correct herself, she twisted and pushed off from her foothold, trying to get momentum going out instead of straight to the ground. Jes pulled Duke close to her chest and rolled the second her feet touched the ground, trying her best not to crush her dog.

The blood elf rushed to her side, eyes wide. " _I'm impressed with your strength, human. It's no easy feat for a woman of your stature to carry that animal as far as you did,_ " he commented, a smidge of warmth in his voice. " _Are you hurt?_ "

Jesika grunted, " _Yeah, I'm fine. Rolling with that bag definitely tweaked my back a little, but I'll live._ " she patted Duke down, briefly checking his neck and legs to make sure she didn't hurt him in the fall. Once satisfied that he was uninjured, she stood and started into the light forest adjacent to her neighborhood, her companions close behind.

" _Would it not be easier to travel along the road?_ " the blood elf piped up after jumping over a young fallen tree.

" _Easier? Of course. But my mom was on her way up to my room when I left-_ " she cut herself off and called to her pup, "Duke, stay close!" The little rascal faithfully bounded back to her side for a short while, then began to run to-and-fro in excitement, though he never strayed more than four or five feet in any given direction. Jes watched him for a moment to make sure he listened, then continued, " _As I was saying, my mom was on her way up to my room and I had left her a note. After reading it, she's probably going to jump in her car and look for me. It's less conspicuous to move through the woods. They're light and I'm following a hiking trail, but the people here hardly use it._ "

Her companion nodded as if he figured she would make such a decision. " _Your pet listens quite well considering your class. Did you have a hunter train him?_ " He asked. The question itself was meant with no ill intent, but the insinuation stung.

" _I trained him myself,_ " Jes retorted dryly. " _What do you mean 'considering my class'?_ "

" _You're a rogue apprentice of some sort, are you not?_ "

" _What? What makes you think-"_ She paused as the realization dawned on her, " _You saw my dagger, didn't you?_ "

He nodded and replied with a note of humor in his voice, " _Not the best, is it?_ "

Her ears burned with embarrassment, but she confided, " _It's only 440 stainless steel… so no, it isn't the best. But I figured it might come in handy…_ " The elf's lips twisted into a mocking grin and her cheeks reddened. " _I got it at an Irish Faire, okay?! My dad bought it for me as an early birthday gift. Stop looking at me like I'm an idiot. Even if it breaks, should I need to stick a motherfucker, it'll do the job._ "

His grin softened and he loosed a quiet chuckle.

" _What?_ "

" _You swear when you're nervous._ "

Jesika's cheeks went from rosey to a vibrant cherry red.

" _And you blush_."

" _Shut the f-_ " she caught herself- " _Just shut up and show me where the portal is_."

He dipped his head. " _As you wish_ ," he chimed as he took the lead.

The four of them ran for another twenty minutes before Jes finally had to stop. " _I think… it's safe… to walk for… a while…"_ she panted, gasping for breath. The elf turned around and, after seeing her state, solemnly nodded and slowed his pace.

" _You are going to be a… difficult travelling companion,_ " he commented, stopping beside her as she knelt and pulled a collapsible dog bowl from her bag.

" _What makes you say so?_ " Jes requested stiffly.

While she poured some water for the animals, he answered, " _Your endurance is lacking. My world will have you running often, usually requiring you to fight before or after and you, my dear, tire quickly._ "

She flicked away the hairs plastered to her forehead so she could properly glower at the elf. " _I'll adapt. Don't be so quick to judge, pretty boy,_ " Jes snarled. Once Duke had rehydrated and the cat lapped up a few tongue-fulls, she collapsed the bowl and wedged it back into place. " _Alright, let's go,_ " she commanded, setting the pace at a brisk walk. " _By the way,_ " Jes grumbled as she popped open her canteen and brought it to her lips, " _I'm not your 'dear.' My name is Jes_."

" _Charmed. My name is Theron, and my lynx is called Mira_."

The sun was dropping behind them when the portal finally came into view.

Relief was visible on Theron's face, but it morphed into confusion upon taking a closer look. He stood in silence for a while.

" _I do not know where this will lead,_ " he confessed and rested his hand on Mira's head- she was nudging him, anxious to go home. He explained, " _There is a very faint picture in the vortex… but… if my eyes aren't deceiving me, I would say it's changing._ "

" _So… we could end up in the Blasted Lands at the entrance, or we could end up in the middle of Mount Hyjal,_ " Jes hypothesized.

Theron nodded and replied darkly, " _It would seem your theory about coming out of a pre-existing major portal was incorrect._ "

" _Not entirely,_ " she countered. " _It's definitely feasible that it's not just major portals such as the Dark Portal, but_ all _portals from those leaving Azeroth down to a mage portal from Sen'jin to Orgrimmar._ "

" _Be that as it may, we are in no condition to land in enemy territory._ "

" _Do you want to get back home or not?_ " Jes huffed inquisitively, hands on her hips. " _Because if we don't step through, you are guaranteed to be stuck here, but if we do go through, there is a small chance we end up in the middle of Stormwind, and great chance we end up in Horde territory. I don't know about you, but that's a risk I'm willing to take._ "

The blood elf rubbed his temples in thought, but the portal wavering seemed to force his decision. " _Prepare yourself. Portal travel is difficult the first time,_ " he warned.

Before she could ask why, Theron stepped through the now flickering portal, bow in hand with an arrow nocked. Mira cast a backward glance then, seemingly aware she could pop out in hostile territory, leapt through the portal, teeth bared.

"Let's go baby boy," Jes murmured encouragingly as she pulled Duke into her arms, "It's now or never." He licked her nose, nestled close for comfort, and through the portal they went.


	2. Chapter 2: The Harpy

Chapter Two

***Author's note: All dialog in this chapter is spoken in Orcish- italicised dialog represents any language other than the aforementioned***

Jesika fell out the other side of the portal onto her hands and knees, coughing and gagging. Duke managed to land on all four paws, but stumbled around in a circle, dazed and confused. When she tried to go to him, she couldn't go one step before doubling over and retching quite violently. "Gods above…" she groaned, closing her eyes in hopes that the world would stop spinning.

Theron knelt beside her. "I tried to warn you," he pointed out. "Are you alright?"

Jes groped at the dirt in an attempt to ground herself. "I think so… the spinning is starting to go away," she affirmed, waiting another moment or two before crawling over to her disoriented puppy. Even Mira sauntered over and gingerly licked his face until he seemed to come around. "Thank you, Mira," Jes said with a tender smile. The lynx glanced at her then assumed her position by Theron's leg.

"Can you stand?"

The young woman nodded and got to her feet. As she surveyed the area, she couldn't tell if her nausea was left over from portal travel, or just the result of extreme excitement.

Theron stared at her with an expression of utter confusion. "What in the name of Light is wrong with you? Are you sure you are alright?" He asked, reaching out to feel her head for a fever.

"I'm here," Jes breathed as he placed his hand on her forehead. The ear-to-ear smile on her face was so absurdly giddy that her cheeks were soon aching. "I'm finally here!" she squealed with delight, "I can't believe it! Azeroth!"

"Durotar, more specifically," Theron pointed out. Satisfied she was not physically ill, he removed his hand and started to pick through one of the small bags at his waist. "If I'm not mistaken, we are fairly close to Razor Hill," he mused as he retrieved a map from his pouch and began to study it.

Jes pulled her hair into a high ponytail while she peered over his arm to get a better look at the map. "About how close do you think?" she pried through the hair tie between her teeth, using the serious conversation as a means to sober herself.

"I can hear the beach- it's faint, but there- so my best estimate of our location would be right around here." He swirled his finger in a small circle not so far from the main traveler's route. "I'd say we're about two miles or so- four at the absolute most- from the road and, depending on how accurate that calculation is, approximately a day's walk to Razor Hill."

"That's not too bad at all."

"...Then another two to three days to Orgrimmar."

"What about taking a Windrider?"

Theron scoffed, "Do you have the money for such a taxi? And even if one of us had the coin, how do you presume we explain you to the Flight Master? Or the guards for that matter? We are going to have to keep away from civilization until I gain audience with Thrall and relay to him the situation."

Jes bit her tongue. "I suppose you're right," she admitted, averting her eyes. "Besides, I don't know how well the wyverns would take to Duke. I'd have to carry him since I can't summon him to me like you can with your pets."

Her blood elf companion shook his head and said, "You fight with daggers but you are no rogue, you have a gift with animals yet you are no hunter. What are you?"

"A blank slate?" Jes suggested, slightly downtrodden by the comment. The world she chose put everyone into a strict category; did she really belong here if she could not fit into one?

Luckily, her response piqued his interest. "Perhaps..." he murmured. "You do have potential." The words brightened her spirits but unfortunately Theron did not speculate further, instead he pulled a woodsy brown cloak from one of his larger pouches.

Jesika blinked in surprise. "How..?" she trailed off, deciding it best to assume magic and leave it at that, for sanity's sake. _Questions for another time,_ she thought.

"If we are going to travel along the main road, it is likely we will run into other members of the Horde, and I would rather not kill my allies in your defense," Theron explained as he draped the cloak over her shoulders. "I understand it is hot, but when night falls and we make camp, I will make you a cowl from the material."

Jesika dipped her head in thanks and raised the hood. "Do you maybe have something I could use to fashion a leash for Duke?" she ventured pleadingly, "He listens well but he's just a puppy… I worry something will catch his attention or he'll wander too far and be lost."

"I forget you don't possess hunter magic… yet. Allow me," he offered, kneeling beside the young animal who, insofar, had faithfully stayed by Jesika's side. Theron placed his hands on either side of Duke's head, whispering strange words far too quiet for Jes to make out. Though Theron was gentle, Duke squirmed for a spell until a faint green glow emanated from the blood elf's palms, and at that moment he seemed to be lulled to sleep. After a brief amount of time, Theron stood and dusted off his hands. "It is done," he stated plainly. "The pup will not stray."

"What did you do?" Jesika asked, dumbstruck. The whole process took less than three minutes, but something about the way Duke looked at her was… different.

Theron began walking toward the road, Jes following close behind, and confessed, "In truth? Not much; I simply strengthened his feelings for you. The link can only be performed once a profound bond has been achieved and the animal has chosen to be loyal to you. It is the second half of the taming process which, for hunters who have mastered the technique, typically only takes about a minute. I'm assuming he formed that bond with you over the course of raising and training him- he loves you very much."

Jesika cast an affectionate glance at her sprightly puppy. "That's good to hear," she replied, a question rearing its head: "If the whole process takes about a minute, why did only performing the second half take more than double the whole duration?"

"When hunters tame their pets, it leaves an… arcane brand, of sorts. However, despite his bond with you, your magical abilities have lain dormant for so long that he lacks your 'brand.' I had to delve into his mind… his emotions- hence the discomfort- and find the mark your spirit has left on him. As if that was not difficult enough a task, I then had to amplify it until it was irrevocable. In layman's terms, I strengthened his feelings of loyalty and love for you until he could not be swayed. Given a few more years, he might have done it on his own, but we do not have the luxury of waiting."

"So that's how taming works…" Jesika mumbled, "...fascinating."

"I'm glad you view it so," Theron said with a small smile.

Jesika suffered in silence as they walked, never removing her cloak despite the sweltering Durotar heat; luckily for her, she was only otherwise clad in a sports bra and running shorts, which made things slightly more bearable. However, when her head started to swim, she piped up: "Don't you have a mount or something?"

Theron stiffened. "My hawkstrider broke his leg when he fell during the earthquake and is in recovery."

"Oh… I'm sorry," she consoled with a pang of sympathy.

"He will live," Theron sniffed. "He is most certainly healed by now, but still too weak for a summons."

"Ah…"

Once again, silence fell over them. Aside from flinching at the occasional windrider overhead, Jes put most of her energy toward staying upright. Fortunately, it was only about an hour and a half before the road was in sight, though for her, it felt like years . In order to avoid passing out, she had already drained one of her canteens and started in on the second.

"You are doing well in this heat for one who has never experienced it," the blood elf commented as Duke lapped up his share of water.

"Well, I wouldn't say 'never'," Jes mumbled from beneath her hood; "I lived in Arizona for a while growing up and summers there were sometimes worse than this." She cast a concerned glance toward her dog and confessed, "I'm more worried about Duke. I know how little I can drink to stay relatively hydrated, though it's a bit hard to account for how much more I'm sweating with this cloak. But him? I can't tell how much he needs and when he needs it. There's no way for him to really tell me how he's doing."

"I had similar concerns when first traveling with Mira," Theron admonished with a nostalgic grin.

Jesika glanced up at her companion. "So, you've had her since the beginning?" she asked, amber eyes aglow.

"Yes, and what a journey it has been."

They talked briefly about Mira's early years but the conversation was cut short when they heard approaching footfalls- loud ones.

"Theron!" a deep voice rumbled, "Is that you, my friend?"

The blood elf sighed and loosened his grip on his bow. "Raider Jhash," he replied, face tightening into a forced smile, "it has been too long." Jesika turned around, careful to keep her face hidden, just in time to see not one, but two orcs atop massive wolves slow to a halt behind them.

The orc who had hailed them let out a hearty chuckle as he dismounted and clapped Theron on the back. "That it has!" he proclaimed, "Back from Outland so soon?" Before the elf could answer, Jhash took notice of Jesika and shot her a wary glance. "Who's your mysterious friend here?"

Panic flashed across Theron's face. Though the expression disappeared soon enough, his reply was still unsteady; "Jesika, a friend from Silvermoon."

The answer was apparently unsatisfactory. "It's a bit hot for that cloak, ain't it?" Jhash questioned; "She should take that off before the heat kills her." He reached out to remove her hood, but Duke emerged from behind her, lips pulled back in a snarl. In a single stride, Jhash's riding wolf stepped forward, answering the pup's threat with a rippling growl.

Jesika's hand swept her hip in preparation to fight, but felt only the seams of her shorts. She clenched her jaw; both survival knife and dagger were still packed away. Unfortunately, she didn't even have time to curse herself. The riding wolf flared its nostrils and an angry glare was all the warning she had before it lunged at her. Jesika leapt back, yanking Duke with her before he tried to fight a losing battle.

"I knew something wasn't right!" the raider boomed, "Explain yourselves!"

"Tell your lackey to stand down," Theron demanded, an arrow already trained on the younger orc. At first, Jes didn't quite understand why but, upon closer observation, noticed a faint blue glow around his hands. _Mage?_ She wondered, _Must be weak magic to be so dim…_

"Not a chance!" Jhash spat, "Aedyndel was in Sen'jin not five days ago saying you were at the Dark Portal, but here you stand. It's impossible to travel such a distance in less than a week!"

"It's possible he was lying," the blood elf countered dryly.

"Even if he was, you're still travelling with Alliance! My wolf doesn't attack Horde unless commanded."

"He smells her human scent."

"I knew it!" the raider bellowed, yanking his axe from his back.

"Stay your blade!" Theron commanded, hand outstretched. "She smells of human because she was their hostage, Jhash. I was on my way to the Dark Portal when I caught wind of her distress signal and had to conduct a rescue."

The orc mulled this over. Eventually, he narrowed his beady eyes and demanded, "Is this true, girl?"

Silence.

"Speak!"

"They cut out her tongue, you oaf! She can't speak!" Theron exclaimed, draping a comforting arm around Jesika's shoulders. "Can't you see the subject is still a sore one?"

Though the muscled arm around her was distracting, she managed to catch his hint and sniffled loudly; she even pressed her head against his chest while wiping away fake tears as a finishing touch.

Jhash appeared surprisingly sympathetic. "Still," he grumbled, "how did you get here so fast?"

"Mage portal," Theron admitted. "It was supposed to drop us in Orgrimmar but we ended up out here."

Finally, both orcs nodded their understanding and the tension lifted. "Portal magic has been strange lately… ever since the quake."

Theron's eyes widened. "You felt that too?"

"All of Azeroth did if the hearsay is true."

There was a thoughtful pause before the younger orc piped up. "We best get going," he reminded Jhash.

"Yes, yes, you're expected." Raider Jhash swung back onto his wolf. "Young Grom'tak here is needed at Razor Hill to continue his training. Safe travels, Theron." Without waiting for a response, they spurred their wolves onward, leaving Theron and Jesika in a cloud of red dust.

"Well, that was eventful," Jesika commented as she waved the dust away from her face.

Theron seemed distracted. "So, it has been five days," he murmured as they resumed their journey. Luckily, they didn't run into anymore "friends" as the day wore on, but Jes still retrieved her survival knife and strapped it to her hip just in case.

The sweltering sunlight finally began to cool to more bearable temperatures as Razor Hill grew near. By the time it was in view, the day had turned to a pleasant dusk.

"Wow," Jes whispered in disbelief.

Her blood elf companion snorted softly. "'Wow'? If you think Razor Hill is anything more than a dirty hovel, the capitol will leave you speechless."

She rolled her eyes. "The architecture isn't what impressed me, it's just that… this exists… I've played the game, wished my hardest and dreamt of it, of Azeroth being real, and here I stand. It's incredible."

"Well, as nice as that is, we have more important things to think about."

They stood a ways off from the front entrance; Theron seemed to be thinking hard. Rendered uneasy by the guards' suspicious stares, Jesika patted her sides as if something had gone missing, then proceeded to crouch and "search" for the item.

"What are you doing?"

"Looks a bit suspicious that two people would suddenly stop right here, doesn't it, Theron? The guards are staring so whatever you're thinking about, make a decision quickly."

Seeming to catch on, the hunter spoke with haste; "Guards have true sight. It's a gift bestowed on them upon completion of training that means-"

"They can see through stealth, Noggenfogger Elixir, polymorphs… basically anything that alters appearance," Jes interjected, "I know."

"Yes…" Theron replied, mildly disturbed, "so they might detect you, but at this point it is too late to go around- the suspicion might get us followed."

"Then through the entrance we go," Jesika concluded as she stood, pretending to pocket her "missing" item. "Detection is a risk we have to take."

"So it would seem."

Aside from inquisitive glances, they passed the guards without incident and Theron took Jesika's canteens and swiftly ducked into the inn, signalling her to wait outside. She sat beside the entrance, sneaking the occasional glance at passerby, utterly awestruck. Unfortunately, she couldn't truly take a good look at her surroundings without exposing herself, so she sat tight and bided her time. Minutes passed and Theron emerged with his refilled waterskin, handing Jesika one for herself alongside her two canteens.

"There is food in my bags," he informed her as she fastened the waterskin to her pack and they hurried from the outpost. The duo traveled some distance into the canyon leading away from Razorhill before settling on a place to bed down for the night: a small cave in the canyon walls. However, as Jes put down her pack, she noticed Theron light something and creep further into the cavern with an arrow nocked and ready.

"Theron, where- ow!" she cried. Mira had nipped her leg in warning and Jes needed no further instruction- silence it was. Well, sort of… every so often she heard an arrow released with a shockingly soft twang. It frightened her at first, hearing the muted thumps that followed each arrow, but ultimately it made her curious. _What is he shooting? ...Birds?_ Her realization was too little too late. By the time her hand touched the hilt of her knife, there was an ear piercing screech and a gust of wind that knocked her off her feet.

"Harpies!" Jes swore under her breath. She rolled onto her back as she unsheathed the knife, but it was all too slow; the harpy descended upon her, a shrieking, slashing mass. She managed to avoid a swipe at her throat- catching its claws on her shoulder instead- and cried out as the blow knocked her knife from her hand.

Jesika grabbed onto its forearms, baby blue skin hot beneath her fingers, and struggled to keep its deadly talons at bay whilst powerful wings battered her relentlessly. Luckily, Duke figured out what was going on and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him throw himself at the harpy with all of his might. It screamed as the 50-pound projectile sent them both toppling over into a wall of rock. They both vied for the upper hand, but after a moment of wrestling Duke managed to get a wing in his mouth and kept it locked between his teeth. With his enemy temporarily incapacitated, the dutch shepherd puppy wrenched his head from side to side, breaking the wing and buying Jesika time to respond. She snatched her knife from the floor just as the harpy bucked him off and launched herself and the feathery creature. In a single bound, she was on top of her adversary, knees pinning down its arms, and plunged her weapon into its chest until the screaming stopped.

Jes stood on shaky legs, panting and splattered with blood, and stared at Theron who had been watching calmly from a distance.

"You did well, considering," he said as he knelt beside one of his own kills.

"No thanks to you," the girl grumbled, glancing at her bleeding shoulder.

"Who do you think stopped the rest while you fought?"

"The rest?"

Theron lifted his light source, a luminescent stone around his neck, and illuminated the immediate area in a pale turquoise. "The one that saw you, that shrieked, attracted the remaining harpies," he explained as Jes stared at the corpses, counting at least a dozen of them, each one taken by arrow or claw. "You should be thankful."

Jesika's cheeks stung more than her wound. "Wouldn't have killed you to send one arrow our way," she muttered.

"I wanted to see you fight," Theron sniffed. Before she could tear into him, the blood elf added, "I'm impressed."

Jes chewed her tongue, contemplating whether or not to go ahead with her angry remarks. She settled for a dirty look and went about looting the bodies. Within minutes, she'd scavenged a few coppers hidden beneath the harpies' feathers, even plucking a handful of the feathers themselves to sell later.

Theron raised an eyebrow but made no comment; instead, he and Mira began to make camp a little closer to the mouth of the cave. It wasn't until firelight flickered into existence that Jesika realized she had been standing over her kill, staring at it blankly. Duke seemed to sense her distress and brushed against her leg. She looked down at him and smiled, shaken but whole.

"Alright," she reliquinshed upon his pleading gaze, "No more moping. Let's go."

Duke's tail wagged intensely as he bounded to the fire with his remaining stores of puppy energy and collapsed in its warm glow, utterly exhausted. Jes followed, though much slower, and sat with her back propped up against a cave wall.

"You seem to be doing well," Theron noted.

"Mmm…" She didn't look up, stead opting to lose herself in the dancing flames.

"I supposed I spoke too soon." Theron threw a pebble at her.

"Oi!" she cried as the tiny stone bit her neck, "Can't a bitch space out in peace?! Fuck!"

The elf cocked an eyebrow; "You curse quite often."

"And you raise your eyebrows a lot, but you don't see me commenting." The young woman held up his pebble. "What was that for?"

"That was your first kill, wasn't it?"

Jes wrinkled her nose. "Sort of… I used to hunt with my dad; not beig game like deer or elk, but I've had to kill bunnies and stuff." She nudged a rock with the toe of her shoe.

Theron's concern seemed to dissipate. "Then why are you bothered so?" he asked, switching his focus to stoking their crackling fire.

"Well I've never killed a person…"

"It wasn't a person, it was a harpy."

Jes glowered at him. "Still a living creature, and humanoid at that," she retorted, flexing her blood stained hands. She could still feel the harpy's flesh give way beneath her knife.

Theron seemed to take pity and stuck out his hand. "Here, hand me your cloak," he offered. She handed it over and he tore off a piece of cloth, dampened it with water, then tossed it back. "Clean yourself up," he insisted. "You'll feel better."

Jesika took the elf's advice and scrubbed herself diligently. "You know what's strange?" she asked absently as the cloth glided up her arm. Theron's ear twitched in her direction but he didn't look up from the bag he was looking through. "What's that?" he answered, pulling what appeared to be sewing supplies into his lap.

"I'm not homesick."

"It has only been one day, Jesika."

"I get that." She set down her cloth, arms and hands free of blood. "But, I mean… I'm in a completely different realm- a whole new planet not even in the same universe as my own, and yet I'm more comfortable here than I ever was back home." Jes picked up her cloth and dangled it above Duke's head, allowing him to lazily nip at it. Both were too exhausted to truly play, but the entertainment was nice nonetheless.

"I do not know," Theron mumbled through the needle and thread between his teeth. "Perhaps you were not meant to be there." He looked to be cutting a sewing pattern out of the cloak, holding it up on occasion to check his accuracy. Seemingly content with his cuts, Theron began to stitch it all together. "We will find out soon enough if Azeroth is where you belong," he admitted as he stitched.

Jesika was unsure what he meant by that, but before she could ask, his necklace began to glow softly. "Why is your-" A stern look from Theron cut her off and he murmured something under his breath.

"Yes?" The blood elf opened.

Jes stared at him, perplexed, while Duke clambered into her lap.

"I am no longer in the Blasted Lands," Theron continued. He braced his forearms against his knees and stared into the fire. "No, I am on my way to Orgrimmar-" his brow suddenly furrowed. Jes could see the anger rising on his face. "I will explain later, Aedyndel!" the elf snapped impatiently.

"Wait… Aedyndel? Isn't that the guy the orc mentioned?" she prodded. Half a second later it dawned on her and she asked incredulously, "Are you on the phone?!"

Theron shot her a tempestuous glare and shoved his finger to his lips, signally Jes to hush, but it was apparently too late. "I was just about to elaborate," he sighed. Jes could hear another voice yelling, but more proud than angry. Theron winced. "Yes, I am travelling with a woman… no! Absolutely not! She's human!"

Unsurprisingly, that news didn't seem to be taken well. The yelling- or cheering, rather, came to a halt and the young woman strained to hear what Aedyndel had to say. Theron's face darkened, rubbing his temples as he listened to whatever beratement Aedyndel felt was earned. "Will you let me elaborate?" He asked, finally getting a chance to speak. The answer must have been yes, because the blood elf launched into the events of the past day, from the earthquake at the dark portal, to meeting Jesika, all the way to their current position.

^v^v^v^

Silence.

"Aedyndel?" Theron asked, casting a wary glance across the fire.

Inquisitive hazel eyes, wide and innocent, stared back.

Finally, Aedyndel's voice sounded in his head; "What is it that you plan on doing, exactly, Theron?"

"I'm… I'm not quite sure."

Brief, stunned silence. "That's a first," Aedyndel muttered- Theron practically saw the shock on his brother's face but was so distracted by the young woman in his company, his reply caught in his throat. She'd lost interest in the one-sided conversation and resigned to massaging her pet, who was falling asleep between her legs as a result. What was he going to do with her? Just waltz right into the capitol with a human in his company?

"She'd be slaughtered…" Theron whispered to himself. He began to stitch some more of his project, as was his nervous habit, without ever realizing he had stopped in the first place. The elf stared and stared, fel-tainted eyes travelling from Jesika's face- admittedly quite fair for a human, to her arms, all the way down to her hands, long, slender fingers easing the tension in her pet's muscles. The fact that she was human still made his skin crawl, but something about those eyes… the soft kindness with which she looked at things… it struck him, in a way.

"THERON!" Aedyndel thundered, so loud even Jesika jumped and looked up, meeting Theron's studious gaze. The blood elf felt his ears burning and quickly angled his face forward to hide them behind a blonde curtain, thankful the blush hadn't lowered to his cheeks.

"What?" Theron hissed.

Aedyndel took an audible breath. "You weren't listening to me. Why did you say 'she'd be slaughtered'?"

"If I take her straight to Orgrimmar," Theron explained in hushed tones, "They will murder her."

"Not necessarily, but when we do get her in, what then?"

"Thrall is a benevolent orc… perhaps he will accept her, given the circumstances."

"If she isn't Horde allegiant, she won't make it into the city anyway," Aedyndel pointed out. "So if the guards allow her to pass, that should be all the proof Thrall needs that her loyalties lie with him."

"The fact that she's human won't obscure their sight?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out. She isn't a human of Azeroth so hopefully her race won't be a factor."

"Hmm…"

"Look, Theron, if you're really that worried, bind her hands. If a guard stops you, just say she's a prisoner being delivered to Thrall for interrogation."

Theron mulled it over. "Yes, I suppose that would work," he agreed. "Hopefully Thrall is understanding."

"We'll just have to wait and find out. I'll see you in the capitol, Brother."

"Goodnight, Aedyndel."

The hearthstone dangling from his neck ceased its soft glow as the connection dwindled to nothing. Theron took one last look at the cowl he'd fashioned and set it down. Jesika had already fallen asleep beside the dying fire, cradling her dog in a loving embrace. To his surprise, both of their wounds had been mostly taken care of. Duke's fresh white bandage stood out against his fur, tired head and wounded leg resting comfortably his mistress' stomach. Jesika, however, had passed out with her own bandages still in hand.

Theron walked over and, without waking her, grabbed the gauze to finish the dressing for her. He was more shocked to find that she had stitched her shoulder wound by herself without so much as a peep, and there wasn't any sort of anesthetic in sight. Judging from the work, she had never done it before on anyone, let alone her own body- the pain must have been enormous. As he gingerly wrapped her wound and draped over her what was left of the cloak, he pondered who exactly was in his company…

^v^v^v^


	3. Chapter 2: The Harpy (Cont)

The blazing Durotar sun peeked over the horizon, bathing their camp in the soothing hues of dawn. Warm rays of light kissed Jesika's cheeks and lifted her gently from her lumber. Her eyes flickered open to a small cooking fire,the tantalizing smell of fresh meat assaulting her empty stomach.

"Good, you're up," Theron said as he carefully rotated his breakfast on a makeshift spit. It took Jes a moment to orient herself and remember where she was. The rust coloured rocks around her... the angular elven face watching his meal with eyes that glowed a dim, unnatural green... her dog sharing a haunch of meat with a Lynx double his size… it was all an abrupt shock, as if her brain had forgotten and expected to wake up in her room. The cloak draped over her was grounding, familiar- something corporeal that helped her prove to herself that this was real.

"Jesika?"

Theron's voice was the anchor that brought her back down to reality. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, pulling the cloak closer for comfort. "Yes?" she asked with a yawn, "What's up?"

"Are you alright?"

"Of course," she replied half-heartedly. The young woman shifted, unease plain on her face, then decided to pipe up: "Have you ever woken up from a dream expecting to be somewhere, but you're still in bed and it takes a few seconds to realize where you are?"

Theron nodded.

"That's exactly how I feel. It's like… it's like yesterday was a dream and I anticipated waking up at home, only none of it was a dream."

"Not surprising. You should eat; it will make you feel better." He offered her a cut of meat from the spit.

Jes tore into without hesitation, savoring the juices that spilled out of the meat with each bite. "Oh my Lord," she groaned joyfully, mouth full, "this is amazing!"

Her companion smiled- he really smiled, and the sight was unexpectedly warming. "Thank you very much," Theron beamed with a dip of his head. "Since we are so close to the capitol, I figured i could spare the remainder of my spices and replenish them in the city."

"Well, whatever you did to this is pure magic. You sure you aren't a mage?" She winked.

Theron looked as if he would puke. "By the Light, no!" he exclaimed, scrunching his nose. "Mages are far too snobbish for my taste. They tend to think that being born with the gift of the arcane makes the superior."

Jesika snorted. "It was a joke, but thanks for the info," she quipped, a sarcastic smile decorating her face.

He stared at her, puzzled, until understanding seemed to hit him like a brick to the face. She could've sworn she saw him blush but he turned away, reaching for something, before she could get a good look.

Theron pulled a cowl out from behind a rock. "I finished it last night," he said, handing it to her. "Please, try it on. I made it a bit large to make up for the lack of your measurements."

The young woman held up a finger and reached into her own bag. It wasn't until she donned a stretchy black tank top that she took the cowl and pulled it over her head. It fit loosely- more like a headscarf than a cowl, but luckily for Jesika, the way it hung on her head allowed the lip to obscure her face in shadows.

"How do I look?" she prompted.

"Perfect, except for one thing." Theron stepped around the fire and crouched in front of her. He pulled up one of the excess pieces of cloth hanging around Jes' neck so it covered everything below her eyes, from the middle of the bridge of her nose, downward. The elf then slipped his hands inside her hood on either side of her head and fiddled with something. Jesika could feel the mask tighten little by little until pleasantly snug. "How does that feel?" Theron asked, slowly withdrawing his hands.

Jes' words stuck in her throat. He had paused momentarily, cradling her neck, thumbs gingerly resting on her cheeks, almost reluctant to move. Her initial surprise quickly faded to mild discomfort as she broke the silence: "Erm… Theron," she murmured, touching his wrists.

That snapped him out of it.

His ears flushed a vibrant cherry red and he stammered, "I, uh… there are two… Two strips of fabric in the back of your cowl." He coughed. "More of a hood, really."

Jesika shot him a quizzical look.

Now recovered, her elven companion explained, "If you pull on those strips, you can tighten the mask as needed. You are free to leave it loose for comfort, or tighten it to remain in place during combat.. Whatever, uh, you might need."

"Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, finish your breakfast so we can get moving."

Jesika had no problem obeying. She pulled down her mask and chowed down on the last bit of her meat. Just before getting up to leave, she and Theron split a small loaf of bread and gathered their things. With naught but a smoldering cooking fire in their wake and bellies pleasantly full, the duo resumed their journey.

Fortunately, the second leg was much better than the first; Theron and Jes had the main road to themselves for the most part so they were able to keep busy with small talk. Theron spoke of his latest adventures, captivating Jesika with talk of riveting battles over resources in Arathi Basin and questing on his way to the Dark POrtal. His stories took her mind off of her sore feet, but no amount of talk could ease her growing anxiety as the capitol drew nearer.

"So, what is training like?" Jesika asked while they sat down for lunch.

"That is a very general question," Theron mused, passing her some bread.

"Well," she mumbled through a mouthful, "how does it work?"

Her companion nibbled thoughtfully on his lunch and threw Duke and Mira some jerky of their own before answering. "Most champions-to-be start fairly young- around twelve years old," he began, "though it is not uncommon for them to wait until their coming of age to begin training."

"When is that, typically?"

Theron shrugged. "It depends on the species. Blood elves' coming of age is 35, but I'm not sure if others start so young."

"Young!" Jes scoffed, "That's saying something."

Theron made a face. "It is young. We age much slower than most species, so at that point, the average elf is mentally a few years younger than you."

"Sorry to offend," she replied, pulling Duke into her lap and cuddling him close to her chest.

"You smother that poor animal," Theron chided as he munched on his lunch, Mira at his feet.

The young woman shrugged and squeezed her puppy lovingly. "You're just jealous," she teased.

The hunter bristled. "I am not!"

"Relax, Theron; I was kidding."

"Oh…" he coughed uncomfortably and fiddled with his lunch for a moment before standing rather abruptly. "Best we get going then," he decided and proceeded to gather his things. Mira dutifully rose and sauntered out to the road, already prepared to go.

Jesika blinked a few times, slightly taken aback by his behavior. "Oh… kay, uh, you still didn't answer my question though," she pointed out. Duke bounded ahead to harass Mira with massive black paws while Jes shouldered her pack.

Theron stared off into the distance, seeming to lose himself in their pets' exchange of playful blows.

"Hello?"

He snapped out of his reverie. "What is it?"

"You get very quiet when you're embarrassed," Jesika noted, taking the lead.

"I- well!" Theron sputtered indignantly. With no reasonable excuse to defend himself, the elf resigned to smoothing back his hair. "I was not embarrassed," he huffed, finally.

Jesika stifled a laugh. "Whatever you say, Theron." From there they traveled in silence for quite some time, but she didn't mind. Travelers were sparse enough for the young woman to take in the scenery.

Walls of dirt and stone stretched skyward to form the impressive canyon through which they traveled, complete with a rocky overhang on both sides that cast a wonderfully cool shade. Jesika smiled, grateful for the respite from Durotar's infamous heat. As their walk continued, her eyes drifted upward from the cracked, rust-coloured road to the ribbon of sky above- a cloudless river of blue that brought yet another warm grin to her lips. It came as a shock that she would love a desert so much, for one who hated heat and summer, but this land called to her. Its harsh beauty was unparalleled by anything her world had to offer, and this was just the beginning.

"What are you smiling about?" Theron asked.

Jesika shifted her gaze to Duke trotting faithfully by her side. "I'm just happy to be here," she replied, stroking his sleek black head.

Fel-tained eyes watched her for a few seconds. "Would you still like to hear about training?"

Jes nodded excitedly, offering her full attention.

"Well, it's fairly simple really. One begins with the basics..."

Theron went on to explain the process in painful detail, most of which Jesika already knew. Champions-to-be trained through 'units,' each unit took an increasing amount of experience to completely master and move on to the next; battle groups were separated by increments of four past level ten- ten through fourteen, fifteen through twenty, etcetera. Though she already learned most of the information through playing the game, she was surprised to find that one didn't have to actually go out in the world and fight to progress so long as one had a guild willing to teach them. Jesika listened intently through it all, admiring the passion with which he spoke.

Night fell as the duo and their pets finally emerged from the canyon and settled down to make camp.

"Is that Orgrimmar?" Jes asked, gesturing toward the lights in the distance that she could only assume were massive torches.

Theron nodded and pulled out his bedroll. "It will take us approximately one day to reach the city from here," he said. "Once there, we will stay the night outside of the walls and…"

"And…?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Theron, answer me," Jesika ordered. Her voice was low and stern and she could tell that her abrupt change in attitude unnerved him.

Theron smoothed back his shimmering blonde hair and sighed, "Then we walk in and seek audience with Thrall."

The young woman's barely containable glee was swiftly snuffed out by a stark realization. "You say that like you have not yet sent word to the Warchief's council," Jes pointed out, eyeing her companion warily.

He paled.

"Theron," she growled, "tell me you can gain audience with the Warchief in a day."

"Yes and no…"

"Explain."

"We will be able to speak with Thrall without a prior appointment, it simply might take a few hours to wait until he is available."

Jesika felt heat rising to her face and forced herself to take a deep breath before speaking. "Theron, every second we are in Orgrimmar without Thrall's approval is another second my LIFE is at risk!" she shouted, composure lost. Theron opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off; "And that's assuming I even get past the guards in the first place! Fucking Hell! How could you not think this through?!"

Her companion's eyes narrowed into glowing green slits. "Well, if you would care to listen, Jesika, you would know that I have a plan."

"Oh?" Jes chirped mockingly, "And what, pray tell, might that be?"

"I will bind your wrists as though you are my prisoner. If we are stopped, I will tell the guards that you are being delivered for interrogation."

"And if we aren't stopped?"

Theron shrugged. "Then you may slip your binds."

A few pensive moments passed.

"Well, in that case, I'm sorry," Jesika conceded. "I stand corrected. Also… I'm sorry I yelled. One mistake on your part shouldn't have gotten me so upset."

The elf looked up from his bags but continued to silently pull out their dinner.

She met his gaze steadily and explained, "You have to understand why I was so quick to react. My life is on the line here and I'm worried that my safety is not a concern of yours if it's not easily handled. I know I'm a human and you probably don't trust me one-hundred-percent, but my fate is in your hands more than ever as soon as we step foot in the capitol."

Theron nodded. "I understand," he divulged, "It was my mistake, not thinking to contact the council sooner. I will remedy the situation." He grabbed his necklace and murmured a few words. The stone pulsated a faint blue and… kept… pulsing… and pulsing….

"Who are you calling?" Jes whispered.

"My-" he was cut short as the light solidified, by a muffled voice on the other side. "Aedyndel, it is urgent, apologies for- yes, I know it is late, I-"

Jesika snickered.

Face in his hands, Theron quietly endured what seemed like quite the talking to. Finally, he confessed, "I failed to contact the council about my audience with Thrall. Could you…" he trailed off, allowing the implication to speak for itself.

A few moments of silent listening passed and an expression of surprise crossed his face; "Oh? Well, thank you, Aedyndel. Yes, goodnight."

"What did he say?"

Theron slipped into his bedroll and replied, "He already took care of it."

Jes let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness he thought ahead. Who is he?"

Theron, visibly uncomfortable, got settled in his bedroll as Mira laid down by his feet. "We have a long day ahead of us," he said tersely. "Get some rest."

Confused yet compliant, the young woman pulled a light sweater and compact blanket from her pack to create a makeshift bed with her pack as a pillow; without a fire, the cold caught up with her- even Duke cuddled against her for warmth.

^v^v^v^

Morning came soon enough, alongside their growling stomachs. With the excitement of the capitol hanging over them, dinner the night before had gone forgotten.

"I'm starting," Jes moaned, packing her things.

Theron tossed her some leftover Jerky. "We eat on the road," he instructed. "We haven't time to waste."

They continued onward to the final leg of their journey, the girl chomping happily away at her breakfast. As per usual, she entertained him with questions about life on Azeroth, beaming up at him with that gentle smile of hers. She was a very happy creature… consistently finding joy in the simplest of thing. Theron found himself gazing at her in wonder a handful of times, allowing his eyes to explore her silhouette as she grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head. The black tank she wore was skin tight and flattered her curves, its stretchy material clinging to-

"What are you staring at?"

The elf gulped; she had turned catching his wandering eyes and held him with her own, iris' an interesting muddy brown. With her mask up and singling out her eyes, Jesika's stare was more intense than usual, rendering him briefly stunned.

"I, uh…" he stammered, blushing.

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't spend much time around women, do you?"

Theron's blush deepened. "What makes you say that?"

Jesika shrugged and returned her eyes to the approaching capitol. "The way you look at me sometimes… it's not so much admiration as it is…" she trailed off, searching for the proper word, "...awe. Like you're more curious than anything."

He let go of the tightness in his chest, relieved, until he realized she was wrinkling her nose. "I take it that is not a good thing," the elf observed.

"Well, I'm not some oddity," she explained distastefully, shooting him a piercing glare. "I'm a person. You shouldn't look at me like… like a… some kind of bipedal bear or other novelty."

"No! I didn't mean- I was just-" Theron stopped himself from saying 'appreciating' and scrambled for an excuse. "I am curious," he admitted. "You are fascinated by the smallest of things, always happy."

Jesika threw her head back and laughed generously, dropping her hood in the process. She quickly tucked her ponytail back into it and pulled it back up, still chuckling softly. Though he didn't understand what was so funny, Theron couldn't help but smile, even Duke trotted over from a rock he was investigating up ahead to see what the commotion was about. The joyful light was still dancing in her eyes when she looked up at her elven companion.

"My parents would've loved to hear you say that," she said. A few quiet seconds passed before the girl answered his question: "To be honest, you would act the same if you lived in my world."

Theron furrowed his brow and cocked his head to one side. "Care to explain?"

"Maybe later," Jes said, stopping in her tracks, "we have other things to deal with." She pointed toward the horizon. Night was beginning to fall, but Theron could still make out a swiftly approaching party of four.

He swore violently and began to search his bags. "The patrol was sent out early," he muttered, pulling out a bloodstained tunic. "Put this on."

"It has blood all over it!" she hissed, "Who's blood-"

Theron yanked her arms up over her head and snapped in a hushed whisper, "We don't have time for this! Keep your arms up!"

Jesika's eyes widened, her expression a mixture of shock and something else he couldn't quite name. Either way, she obeyed with a meek, "Yes,sir," and he dropped the tunic over her, her slender arms easily sliding into the sleeves.

The patrol was almost upon them.

"Hopefully the old blood will hide your scent," Theron said as he removed the remains of his cloak from his bags. He just managed to drape it over her shoulders when the mounted grunts arrived before them.

"Victory or death," the green skinned orc greeted, slamming a fist to his chest in an orcish salute.

"Victory or death," Theron repeated dutifully, mimicking the gesture. "How may we assist you?"

The orc that greeted them huffed and leaned forward on his mount. "The wolves caught wind of an Alliance scent as we came near," he began. "Any idea why?"

Theron opened his mouth to speak, but a darker orc beside the apparent leader noticed something. "The female is bloodied, sir," the grunt commented. "It looks dry."

Theron glanced at Jes just in time to see her pull the sides of the cloak together. They had seen her- his tattered tunic. Luckily, she hadn't forgotten to keep her head down so all was not lost.

The leader inhaled deeply. "Smells like elf… mostly," he confirmed, "but also… human?"

"Sir, I can explain," Theron countered.

The orcs surrounded them, wolf mounts snorting.

Suddenly, he felt a hilt pressed into his hand and looked down: Jesika's hunting knife was in his hand, smeared with blood. Worry stung his chest at the sight of it, but there was no time to dwell on it.

"Who's your friend, Elf?" the leader asked, "And why does she smell so… confusing?"

"She is my sister," Theron explained, "We had a run in with a human rogue."

The three underling orcs grumbled among themselves until their leader silenced them.

"Why's her blood dry?" he growled with growing suspicion.

"Those stains are from earlier wounds," the elf fibbed, though it was not entirely a lie. "The blood you smell is her blade. Here." Theron revealed Jesika's bloody dagger and handed it over.

The orcs passed it around, each taking a whiff. Satisfied, the leader returned her blade and ordered his men to fan out. "The blood is still fresh!" he bellowed, spurring his mount onward. "The rogue can't be far!"

Theron and Jesika hurried forward, arriving at the capitol approximately ten minutes later. Winded but safe, they settled camp outside the walls, as far away from the entrance as possible.

^v^v^v^

Jes sat down and dropped her pack with a huff. "Definitely not meant for running," she panted. Duke collapsed next to her, just as spent.

"It was barely ten minutes," the elf quipped as he gathered some twigs for a small fire. His lynx strolled over to the puppy and sniffed him all over as if to make sure he was okay. Noticing this, Theron raised an eyebrow and speculated, "I think your pet has triggered Mira's maternal instincts.

"Nothing gets by you, does it, Sherlock?"Jesika sighed sarcastically, removing the first-aid kit from her bag.

"That's right, your hand!" Theron recalled. He walked over and knelt before her, concern etched in his face. "Allow me."

She hesitated, but ultimately acquiesced and let him inspect and dress her wound. "It's not that bad," she explained, wincing, "I've jut never been cut by a knife before."

Theron raised an eyebrow. "Never?"

"Well, I've gotten nicked here and there," Jes admitted, taking back her hand, "But no, never an actual cut like this."

"Best you get used to it…" the elf advised, trailing off into a few minutes of silence. Jesika had just taken a bite of her granola bar when he piped up again; "Why did you cut yourself?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked through a mouthful. "They smelled human, I was bloody; only logical excuse was a bloody dagger to go with your rogue story."

From there, the conversation shifted to plans for the following day and they spend quite some time discussing it. Finally, they agreed upon the simplest plan: approach Thrall, explain the situation, and hope for the best. The Warchief was a good orc, it was likely he would pardon Jesika.

With the coming events weighing on her, the young woman struggled to sleep and spent most of the night staring at alien stars, willing her audience to go well, eventually succumbing to exhaustion.


	4. Author's Note: Hiatus

p style="text-align: center;"Hello All! /p  
p style="text-align: center;"I know there aren't many of you, but there are a small number of people following this story so I feel an update is in order: /p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"br /1. Thank you SO much for following my story! I've never been comfortable enough to publish any of my work but the fact that you guys find it interesting enough to follow means the world to me. I hope my story holds your interest to the end! 3/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"2. I apologize for the hiatus- life has been a little nuts. Currently I'm working 7 days a week between 10-12 hours each day so I don't have a lot of time to do anything, let alone write. Furthermore, my notebook (where most of the story is handwritten) went missing for about 2 months so I was unable to copy it into my computer and, from there, post it. As of right now, chapter 3 is almost complete and will probably be separated into at least two parts, so there's that to look forward to!/p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"3. In this moment, I am copying over "Chapter 3: The Warchief" into my google docs, so it will be posted here (hopefully) very soon! /p  
p style="text-align: center;" /p  
p style="text-align: center;"Stay tuned and thank you again for your support!/p 


	5. Chapter 3: The Warchief

A gentle nudge brought Jesika out of her nightmare.

"We must move," Theron whispered, oddly tender. "Are you alright?"

"Just a nightmare," she murmured, squinting against the morning light. Everything was already packed, so the only thing left to do was prepare to meet the guard. Her companion waited expectantly with some rope in hand.

"What was it about?" Thereon asked as he bound her wrists behind her back.

"Battle, I think," Jesika speculated. She furrowed her brow and elaborated, "I couldn't see much… just streaks of purple, but I could hear growling… and there was this…" -the girl winced- "...terrible pain in my arm."

"A flashback from your time in the military?"

"What? I was never in the military."

Theron raised his eyebrows. "No? Then why did you call me 'sir' yesterday? I assumed it was habitual."

Jesika's cheeks flamed bright red. "No reason," she squeaked. "Just forget about it. Please."

Although confused, he didn't press the issue and the duo walked onward toward the capitol, their pets in tow. Within five minutes, Orgrimmar loomed over them and left Jes slack jawed. In their haste the night prior, the young woman hadn't a moment of leisure to observe, but now, with the sun peeking over the horizon, she could view the city gate in all of its glory.

A massive stone wall stood between Durotar and the capitol's inner workings. On either side of the impressive structure were watch towers, each made with gargantuan logs stretching at least 200 feet high, lashed together with rope as thick as her head. She allowed her eyes to wander upward past the defensive wooden spikes, to the Horde banners that decorated both watch towers; each of the two structures boasted a single banner that easily reached 100 feet in length. The sheer size of everything was overwhelming, not to mention the people.

Champions of the Horde trickled in and out of the city, some stopping to chat with friends and party members, while others mounted up for travel. Jes was in awe the orc grunts she had seen, but troll warriors clad in worn plate mail... blood elf mages adorned in beautiful robes, and the tauren- oh! The Tauren! Those sights were new, some intimidating and others merely intriguing, but all were exhilarating to witness.

"Now is our chance," Theron whispered, slapping Jesika out of her daze. "We will follow the kodo caravan."

She didn't have time to gawk at the dinosaurs casually sauntering past; Theron yanked her by her elbow and hurried to the line of kodos, Duke and Mira trotting dutifully alongside them. They all fell in step with the caravan and, when the gate grunts began the cargo inspection, Theron, Jesika, and their pets slipped past.

The group hustled through the entrance tunnel, passing guards left and right with nary more than a wayward glance cast their way. When the tunnel opened up to reveal Orgrimmar, the number of grunts finally lessened, relieving much of Jesika's anxiety. Her excitement on the other hand? Barely containable.

Despite the early hour, Orgrimmar was already teeming with life. Members of the Horde ranging from Civilians to champions roamed the shops while children played in the city square's open spaces; the entire city was bathed in the warm glow of the early morning sun. To see the everyday life of people Jes had once thought were fiction was both astonishing and oddly welcoming. A smile inched its way across her face as she was overwhelmed by a sense of belonging- of home- and so engrossed was she in these sensations and in the sights and sounds of this city that she didn't realize Theron had stopped.

"Umph!" Jes grunted as she walked into his back.

"What's yer business with the Warchief?" asked a gravelly voice.

Theron squared his shoulders. "We have an audience arranged- urgent, for Theron Dawnsinger."

The orc removed some crumpled parchment from a pouch on his belt, beady eyes scanning it for a few moments. "Ah, here ya are," he said finally, and saluted Theron. "Proceed, Champion."

Jesika glanced nervously at her elven companion from beneath her hood, but he ignored her and stepped somewhat apprehensively over the threshold before them

 _What if he doesn't accept me?_ She wondered as they walked around a large pillar in the foyer. Either way, she came to terms with the fact that worrying would do her no good and simply resigned herself to fate.

"Victory or death, Warchief," Theron greeted as he came to a halt. Though she could barely see him from beneath her hood, Jes still noticed he was visibly tense.

"Well met, Theron Dawnsinger." Thrall's booming voice filled the room, sending a shiver down Jesika's spine, for he did not shout, but the power in his voice carried impressively. Even though she could not see him, his spoken word alone formed a daunting image in her mind. The Warchief continued: "What is this urgent news your brother spoke of?"

 _Brother?_ Jes thought. _Aedyndel is his family?_ She stared at her feet, wondering why he didn't mention it sooner.

Theron shifted uncomfortably. "It is a rather… sensitive topic, Sir. May I have your word that you will hear me out in full before passing judgement?"

She felt Thrall's scrutinizing gaze fall on her and swallowed her nerves, mentally preparing for the worst.

"You have my word."

Without further ado, Theron launched into the events of the last week or so, starting with the earthquake in the blasted lands and the suspicious behavior of those near the portal itself. He then went on to describe the peculiar world on the other side, and finally, his encounter with Jesika: "While in this world," he explained, "I happened upon a native who was battling a felhound."

"A felhound?"

"Yes, sir. It would seem that Outland's side of the portal is also in connection with this 'Earth'"

"I see… go on."

"Well, sir, this native insisted on accompanying me back to Azeroth to aid us in rectifying this… issue."

This time, it wasn't only Thrall's gaze Jesika felt boring into her. The chamber went silent and she knew it was because the council members had all turned their attention to her.

"Ah, and this is your new companion, I take it? A fellow hunter?" Thrall inquired, eyeing Duke. The normally exorbitant 5-month old sat calmly by his owner's side, observing the orc with repeated head tilts.

"Not quite."

"Enough of this suspense, Theron. Get to your point."

"You see, I… well, she's-"

Jesika silenced him by reaching for her hood. _Best get on with it,_ she thought.

In one slow motion, the young woman dropped her hood and locked eyes with Thrall who sat just 10 feet before her. She brought her right fist to her heart in an Orcish salute, dipped her head, and uttered a shockingly confident, "Greetings, Warchief."

The present council members gripped their weapons, a ripple of audible shock passing through them.

"Human!" shouted a Forsaken priest.

The hall erupted into a cacophony of slurs and disturbing threats. Two grunts rushed inside, brandishing their axes. Theron was shouting something, and poor Duke had shut down from sensory overload.

Jesika yelped as a bolt of arcane energy narrowly missed her head.

"ENOUGH!" Thrall thundered, bits of lightning sparking at his fingertips. "Guards, leave us!"

The grunts froze in a mixture of awe and confusion. "But sir!"

"Leave!"

The dejected guards removed themselves while the council members resigned to quiet grumbling.

"Theron," the Warchief sighed, "I'm assuming you have good reason for befriending this human, let alone bringing her here."

"I do, Sir. She is an ally and I ask that you accept her as a member of the Horde."

Indignant council members were silenced with a wave of Thrall's hand. "It cannot be done," he stated.

Jesika looked to Theron, alarmed, silently begging him to say something, but the blood elf simply hung his head and turned to leave. Taken aback to say the least, Jes shifted her gaze to Thrall, frantic. The portal home was closed! Even if she wanted to leave, that was no longer a possibility and the Alliance were no option for her… she couldn't leave the Horde or Theron behind.

"Thrall, please," she begged, "don't cast me out. This is where I belong!"

The orc's eyes, both warmer and more intimidating than most of his race, bore into her. Jes held her ground and dared to stare back defiantly, radiating confidence.

Finally, Thrall spoke; "You're aura is confusing, young one. How can I know this isn't some sort of trick?"

"I speak Orcish for one."

Theron shot her a look.

"Anyone can learn our language," the Warchief replied.

"True, but I never learned it," she pointed out. Realizing she had no proof of her inexplicable linguistic capabilities, Jes paused a moment. A brief silence passed. She continued, "Thrall, I can't explain why my… aura is confusing, or how I came to know your language without any study, but I have been loyal to you- to the Horde, for years. Azeroth is my second home."

"How is that possible? Our world's have never collided before this day."

Jes swallowed nervously. Her eyes flicked about the torchlit chamber, landing on suspicious glare after suspicious glare, not a single sympathetic face in the room. That was to be expected, of course, but nevertheless the scrutiny left her words caught in her throat for a spell. "That is… uh…. exceptionally difficult to explain."

Thrall leaned forward intently and braced his burly green forearms on the top of his thighs, fingers lacing together slowly. "We have time," he stated.

Her anxious hand grasped Duke's fur for comfort as she scrambled for the words. Some awkward moments of silence passed, but she eventually managed to describe World of Warcraft and Blizzard to the best of her ability. Thrall merely stared impassively. Frustrated, Jesika went on to delve into the thousands of hours she logged into the game, her knowledge of the Horde, her distaste for the Alliance, and more.

"And finally, you," Jes concluded. "Warchief Thrall, I have dreamt- literally- of you existing and meeting you. There is no other leader to whom I would rather pledge my fealty. I have fervently supported you despite believing you were only fantasy. Warchief, my heart is with you… with the Horde."

Thrall's stony expression was disheartening. Then, Jes noticed the corners of his mouth twitch upward. "I admire the strength of your conviction, human," he commented, voice warm. "There is a way we can test the legitimacy of your words. Laelani!"

The forsaken priest who had sparked the earlier madness stepped aside for a Warlock of his own race.

Laelani was pretty by human standards, if one ignored the green flesh and partially exposed bones. Jesika focused on her astonishingly babyish face, soft with deceptively innocent glowing eyes. Something about her made Jes fearful- those childish looks were not enough to fool her.

"Yes, Warchief?" Laelani's voice chirped, a playful smile dancing on delicate grey lips.

"You have been working with the mages on your project, correct?"

"Yes sir, but it's still experimental." She cast a sideways glance at Jesika. "In theory, we could use the subject's own arcane energy to make their true allegiances known and they will be branded accordingly." A dark grin shadowed Laelani's face and she added, "Unfortunately for Theron's pet, I haven't perfected it. So, if she isn't truly one of us at heart, the spell will be fatal."

"Think carefully, Jesika," Thrall cautioned. "If you do not wish to risk your life, I will allow you to leave the city unscathed. You may return to your people."

"All due respect, Warchief, the humans of Azeroth- the Alliance, were never 'my people'."

There was a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Very well."

The undead Warlock stepped over to Jesika and rolled up her sleeves, prepping for the spell.

Jes piped up; "If this is focused on manipulation of the Arcane, why isn't a mage doing it?"

Laelani scoffed. "The team of mages I work with are barely more than civilians. They haven't the stomach for this line of work."

"Why would they…" she trailed off as the Forsaken woman wrapped bony fingers around her wrist and held fast.

Laelani handed her a thick strip of leather. "You might want this."

No sooner had Jes taken it between her teeth than the Warlock began.

There was no easing into the sensation… no gradual increase… only immediate, unimaginable pain. It felt like a white hot iron, forged in her chest, was pushing its way to the surface. She internalized her screams even as her stomach turned and darkness closed in around her until all she saw was a pin prick of light. She gasped as images flashed before her eyes- images of her playing the game... arguing with friends... discussing factions... even some unrelated memories such as those of her father. Jesika would have enjoyed reliving these memories if not for the hellish magic that was pulling them to the surface, forcibly sifting through them for evidence of her alignment.

Jesika wasn't sure how long she stood in silent agony. Time dragged on as if slogging through molasses. Fortunately, like all things, this too came to an end and the pain stopped, leaving Jes drenched in sweat with wobbly knees that could hardly hold her weight.

"How do you feel?" Laelani inquired. Her voice was still lilting and delicate, but her serious tone stuck out like a sore thumb.

Jesika glowered at the woman, chest heaving. When she eventually caught her breath, she pushed aside the hair plastered to her forehead and spat, "Peachy."

Laelani cuffed her upside the head like a mother cat. "This is serious, child! Answer the question- and calm your pet!"

She was so out of it, Jes hadn't realized that Duke was beside himself with anger. Theron stood back a ways, holding the growling, lunging puppy by his collar, and struggling by the looks of it. Jesika silenced the animal with a finger to her lips. Once calm, he was free to go to her and bolted to her side in an instant.

"Well?" Laelani questioned once more.

"I feel like I just went through hours of pain that's near indescribable."

The Forsaken woman scribbled something in a notebook. "The process took less than ten minutes," she clarified. She held up a strip of leather laden with awfully deep teeth marks. "However, I don't doubt your pain."

Jesika stared at it in shock. "I don't remember spitting that out," she murmured, turning it over in her hands.

"Interesting…" More writing ensued. "Anymore memory loss? Did you ever lose consciousness?"

"No, not that I know of…" Jes rubbed her temples. "All I remember is pain and tunnel vision"

"What about-"

"Warchief," Theron interjected as he stepped forward, "don't you believe Jesika has been questioned enough?" The elf hovered his hand over her shoulder for a brief moment, as if he wanted to make a protective gesture, then seemed to think better of it and hastily lowered it back to his side. He coughed into his fist awkwardly. "After this ordeal, she ought to rest."

Laelani shot him a vicious glare.

"Very well," Thrall replied. "Aku, heal her. Laelani's research can wait."

A hulking tower of Tauren, clad in the garb of a priest, approached Jesika and grabbed her arm. It was at that moment that she looked down for the first time and saw the full extent of Laelani's work.

Burned into her upper arm, from shoulder to elbow, was the symbol of the Horde. It was vile to behold; the symbol appeared as though someone had taken a hot iron and pressed it a good half inch into her skin. The exposed flesh was cherry red and oozing, with a few blisters already forming, but the blood was thankfully minimal. Jesika swallowed her nausea and swiftly averted her eyes; looking at the wound only made her think about the pain she should be feeling. Instead, she elected to focus on the Tauren hands glowing warmly with healing energy.

Unfortunately for her, as soon that white light made contact, sharp pains shot through her arm and she recoiled instantly, crying out. Aku furrowed his bushy brow and tried again, this time persisting through her initial cry.

Finally, he looked at Thrall and explained, "I can not heal this wound. The brand is.. It is almost like it's fighting me."

The Warchief turned to his subordinate expectantly. "Laelani?"

The warlock flipped through her notebook. "It's meant to be resistant to 'unnatural' forms of healing- if one can call magic unnatural- in order to assure sufficient and permanent scarring. However," she added, lifting a single, bony index finger, "if you heal small portions at a time, you might be able to accelerate her recovery by a few weeks."

"'Might'?" Jesika quipped as she crossed her arms. "As in, might not actually work and I'd suffer for nothing?"

Laelani glanced up from her notebook. "I did say it was experimental. Either way," she said, clapping the book shut, "report back to me with your findings." She turned to the warchief, a lone eyebrow cocked. "If that is all, Warchief?"

"Yes, you may go," Thrall affirmed. He stood. "Aku, be sure that you take proper care of our new friend. I will see to it personally that you, Jesika, are known as an ally, but tread carefully these next few days while we get the word out." The massive orc revealed a gentle smile and announced formally, "Welcome to the Horde, Jesika."


	6. Chapter 3: The Warchief (Cont)

Jesika stared, teary-eyed, as Thrall left the room. Words of gratitude were caught in her throat. _I am forever in your debt,_ she vowed silently. _You won't regret this._

Aku's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Brace yourself, child."

She did just that and grit her teeth through thirty more minutes of pain. When he was finished, Aku applied a salve from a pouch on his belt and began to wrap her wound.

"You must visit me again tomorrow," he said. "I will need to heal and redress your wound daily."

"Thank you, Aku," she replied with a dip of her head. "I'm extremely grateful."

The tauren merely grunted at her, finished dressing the wound, and lumbered back to a desk laden with dimly glowing books. Jesika took that as dismissal and looked to Theron.

"So… what now?" she asked, somewhat downtrodden. They had their audience and succeeded, but with that hurdle cleared, Jes wasn't sure of what to do or where to go.

Theron adjusted his bow and sighed. "Now, we pay Aedyndel a visit."

"Your brother."

"Yes," he answered stiffly.

Jesika prodded Theron about his brother as they left Thrall's Fortress, trying to discern why he kept their blood relation a secret. He didn't budge. They followed a path to the East side of Orgrimmar, toward the Valley of Honor, and were passing under an archway when Jes finally conceded. "Will you at least tell me where we are going?" she huffed, hands on her hips.

"The Cleft of Shadow," Theron grumbled, making no effort to hide his mounting agitation.

Jes stared at him, first in shock, then in anger. "The Cleft of Shadow?!" she cried. Passerby cast her strange looks so she pulled her hood lower over her eyes and hissed, "You really think that's a good idea, Theron? Sending the only human in Orgrimmar to the shadiest area possible? And after Thrall told us to lay low, no less!"

"Is that why you're worried?" Theron countered angrily. "Thrall accepted you as one of us and is seeing to it personally that the Horde is made aware. Word travels fast."

"Oh yeah?" Jesika argued with a petrifying glare. "And how exactly can you prove that?"

"Well, if you would take off that hood, you could see for yourself." He promptly reached over and pulled back her hood, much to her displeasure.

She was about to protest when she noticed Mira hesitate out of the corner of her eye. The hair on the back of Jesika's neck raised. The lynx's ears flicked backwards. _She hears something…_ Jes thought. A warning manifested on her tongue, but she was rendered silent by an overwhelming sense of dread and, for a moment, she thought she heard something. Duke didn't seem bothered, so maybe… no, she definitely heard something. The young woman turned to look behind herself and, to her surprise, bumped into something with her elbow- someONE!

Jesika stood in shock, face to face with a male troll as he appeared before her eyes, seeming to peel away from the shadows. A yowl of fear had scarcely left her lips before someone else barreled into her waist and carried her off, over their shoulder, with impressive speed. She was disoriented and horrified, but instinct sent her into a fit. Jesika lashed out at her assailant with flailing limbs, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I'm not dying today!" she howled, squirming and striking furiously, no holds barred. The man carrying her was nearing the entrance to the Cleft of Shadow when Jesika managed to worm herself loose.

"Hey! N- Wait! What the-" stammered her captor as she slid down his back, head first. He scrambled to get a hold of her, to restrain her somehow, but she was kicking too much for him to get a solid grip on her legs. Jesika's hands were mere inches from the ground, prepped for a hard landing; nevertheless, the mystery man slowed her with fruitless attempts at capture until, finally, a swift kick to the jaw set her free. Jesika dropped to the ground in a brief handstand and rolled, clipping her head on a rock in her haste.

Terrified, the girl didn't spare so much as a glance backward; she took off at a dead sprint the moment her feet touched down. Still, she wasn't fast enough. Jesika sensed her attacker closing in and frantically searched for an escape. As if on cue, Duke rounded the corner in a barking fit of rage, and launched himself at the enemy with every ounce of his being. A male voice bellowing in pain told her that he hit his mark. Jes whistled for Duke to return but never slowed. Theron came jogging casually into view just as a blood elf woman attempted to clothesline her. Jesika tried to duck but at such high speeds, she only unbalanced herself and fell onto her side. The momentum turned her fall into a slide, leaving painful scrapes beneath her clothes. For now, pain was fleeting and Jes twisted onto her feet unfazed, gravel crunching under her sneakers as she slid to a stop. The newest attacker took this opportunity to tackle her to the ground. They grappled for a few tense seconds before Jes broke away and, followed by a string of Thalassian curses, made a mad dash for Theron.

 _Just a few more feet and I'll be safe!_

However, her sprint was brought to a skittering halt as a Forsaken, masked in shadow and poised to strike, became visible behind him. Jesika did a double-take; did her eyes deceive here? For a brief moment, she thought she was imagining things, but a more intense stare brought the Forsaken man into focus. He was there.

"Theron, watch out!" Jesika yelled. Approaching footfalls rang in her ears. She listened intently and ducked when the sound closed in, narrowly avoiding a baton to the dome. The blood elf had caught up. Jes grabbed a fistful of sand and small rocks from the ground, tossed it at the other woman's face, and took off again, back the way she came. This time, she darted into an alley she'd passed on her way to Theron.

About 20 feet ahead, the narrow path opened up to a small, square space with no exit in sight. Out of breath and out of options, she knew it was only a matter of seconds before they caught up with here- and what were Theron and Mira doing? Jesika shook her head free of that thought; she had to worry about hiding, now.

The open space was home to a few stacks of boxes and crates just opposite the entrance, probably as storage for the neighboring shops. Thinking quickly, she shuffled them around a bit and positioned herself in a dark corner by the mouth of the room. Just as expected, someone stepped cautiously into the area within moments; it was an orc, male and clad in leather armour. Jesika struggled to quell her panting and breath silently, even holding her breath as his eyes nearly fell on her.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the orc growled, a sadistic grin on his youthful face as he advanced on the boxes. "You can't hide from a rogue."

Jes slipped from the shadows, survival knife in hand, and moved to strike. The orc whirled around, catching her by the wrist.

He disarmed her easily as he sneered, "Gotcha."

The young woman took a great breath and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Get the fucked away from me!" she shrieked as she wrenched her arm from the orc's grasp and turned to flee. "Theron! Help!"

The orc grabbed her from behind, trapping her in an iron embrace. He struggled to carry her through the alley while she thrashed violently, kicking and screaming. This one was stronger than the one that grabbed her first, but she'd be damned if she made it easy on him.

"Why… are… you making this… ungh… so… difficult," he grunted.

"Because fuck you, that's why!" Jesika threw her head back, crushing his nose and consequently loosening his grip. She smashed her elbow into his diaphragm, giving herself the chance to escape his grasp. The young woman fled for her life, shoulder checking the dagger-wielding Forsaken from just minutes earlier without a second thought. She hooked a sharp right out of the alley and stumbled into Theron almost immediately.

"Thank god," Jes whimpered, crumpling against his chest. The poor woman was wheezing at this point, from all of the overexertion and Theron hesitantly rested an arm around her.

"Enough of this nonsense," Theron snapped. "Can't you see she's had enough, Aedyndel?"

The brown-haired elf who grabbed her and started the whole wild goose chase, came out of the alleyway with the Forsaken rogue in a headlock on one arm, and a squirming puppy in the other. "Apologies. Weapons," he replied, glaring pointedly at his undead captive, "weren't part of the game."

Jesika was dumbfounded at first, then livid beyond imagination- so much so, she hardly noticed that Duke had been let go and was bounding to her side. "Your BROTHER was behind this?!" she roared, exhaustion forgotten. "You piece of shit. You reeking pile of garbage, how DARE you!" She lunged at Aedyndel, brandishing Theron's skinning knife. She didn't get far.

"Jesika, calm yourself," Theron commanded as he held her back. He retrieved his knife and sheathed it. "How did you even get that?"

"I grabbed it off your belt," Jes panted, staring daggers at his brother. "I dropped my knife when his orc attacked me."

Theron pulled her back to his side. "What was the point of this, Brother?"

Aedyndel reached behind a nearby building and yanked out the blood elf woman by her ear. "Well," he began, obviously upset with his apparent underlings, "I wanted to scare you a little bit by 'kidnapping' your little girlfriend here. I specified no weapons and no intentionally harming her- it was supposed to be a prank."

"Oh, well in that case," Jesika said sarcastically, raising her hands in a mocking 'all's good' gesture.

Aedyndel rolled his eyes. "You weren't supposed to be so slippery. And you said she wasn't trained, Theron."

"She's not," Theron sneered.

The Blood Elf and Forsaken in Aedyndel's grasp seemed particularly hurt by that. The orc, on the other hand… he trotted over, beaming through his bloody face and holding Jesika's weapon. "Well fought!" he praised, offering the knife, hilt first, "I'm impressed!"

Jes took the blade with a weak smile. "Thanks… sorry I broke your nose."

"You're an idiot, Aedyndel," Theron scolded. "This is precisely why I didn't want to involve you! That stunt was completely unnecessary and far too dangerous."

Aedyndel scoffed. "Relax, Theron. My students got practice, a lesson in humility, and I was able to see Jesika here perform under pressure." The elven man smiled and continued with a hint of smugness; "She can start her rogue training with the guild in the next few days."

Theron bristled. "Absolutely not. She will be joining the hunters."

His brother chuckled heartily. "We'll see, but for now, everyone head home. Let's get you both some food. As for these two," he said, tightening his head lock and ear hold. "You both will give me laps until I send for you, and you're on dishes tonight. Go."

Both of them groaned, but the Forsaken dutifully began running while the blood elf stayed back, agitatedly watching the orc and troll as they walked toward home.

"Can I at least wash the dirt from my eyes first?" she huffed, glaring at Jesika with fel-green eyes. "I still can't see clearly. And it stings."

Aedyndel lowered himself to her eye-level and fixed her with a hard stare. "Maybe it will serve as a reminder to react faster and obey my rules," he stated in a low voice. "Run."

Aedyndel lead the way into the Cleft of Shadow, followed closely by Jesika and Duke. Theron and Mira kept their distance. Jes hardly noticed Theron's eyes watching her, far too distracted by her throbbing head and burning arm to pay anything any mind. What she did notice, was that the Cleft corridors were much larger than depicted in-game. They came up to the fourth brazier, plenty of tunnel ahead, and stopped.

"Why are we stopping?" Jesika asked, softly so as to not disturb her budding headache.

Aedyndel revealed a charming smile. "We're here. Can't you see, Doll?"

She rolled her eyes, about to make a smart aleck remark when the door came into focus. It didn't really look like a door per se; Jes only saw a faint seam in the wall of rock, but Aedyndel noticed the realization on her face and grinned ear to ear.

"She can see it," he said with a triumphant look at Theron.

The blonde brother lifted his chin and snorted, "That means nothing. Anyone can see it if they look hard enough."

Aedyndel chuckled. "Whatever you say. It didn't look like she tried that hard."He swung open the door to reveal a dimly lit corridor sparsely lined with torches. The trio proceeded, Aedyndel in the lead, and Mira and Duke bringing up the rear. Jesika whimpered softly; muscle fatigue was finally crashing down on her. Everything hurt, but the throbbing headache and burning pain in her shoulder were beginning to make things particularly unbearable. Coupling that with her exhaustion resulted in the girl practically falling asleep as they walked.

"Jesika?"

"Is she conscious?"

"Well, she's standing, Theron, so I would assume so. Jesika!"

Jesika's eyes fluttered open to see that they were at a split in the corridor. Both brothers were staring at her. Aedyndel was gently shaking her shoulders.

"Jesika!" he called again.

She sucked air through her teeth. "Ow! My arm!"

Aedyndel retracted his hands. "Sorry, I was talking to you and you just stopped responding."

"You were standing with your eyes closed," Theron added. "Are you alright?"

Jesika rubbed her temples. "Yeah, I'm fine… just tired." She took a step forward and would have fallen if not for Aedyndel's quick reflexes. He lifted her upright and wrapped an arm around her waist to support her weight, allowing her to relax against his side.

"See what your little stunt accomplished?" Theron hissed.

"You're pretty quick to pass blame," Aedyndel countered. "What did you do, run her all the way here from Razor Hill?"

"That is quite rich coming from the man who just ran her ragged!"

"Alright, let's clear something up-"

"Would you two just fucking stuff it already?" Jesika snapped groggily. "You bicker like old men. I'm tired. The adrenaline has worn off- I'm crashing." She peeled away from Aedyndel's body and rubbed her face. Any more time in his embrace and she would have promptly fell asleep. "I can make it on my own, thanks."

Aedyndel chuckled and winked. "You sure?"

Jesika sputtered a moment, taken aback.

"Aedyndel," Theron growled, "must you always be so cavalier?"

"I'm only joking. Relax, Brother," he replied. "Right this way." The blood elf released Jesika's waist and continued down the right hand side of the split in the corridor, though Jes could've sworn he lingered.

 _Feh, what a tramp._

"This," said Aedyndel as they came upon a second fork, "is the only part of our space that isn't co-ed. To your left is the women's showers and to your right, is the men's." He led them through the left side and another rocky doorway that opened up to what could only really be described as a cave.

Jesika observed the area. It was moderately sized with a number of stalls lining the left wall. All of the stalls consisted of two walls of rock and a curtain. She counted only seven, with two on the right that neighbored shelving for discarded clothing. She slid her foot on the floor of smooth rock and was surprised to find that it lacked any visible drains, yet there was no slipperiness or pooled water. Curious, Jesika knelt and placed her palm against it. It was cool to the touch and, aside from a few scattered water droplets, almost completely dry. Now that she thought about it, the air was not dank or musty in any sense either and, quite frankly, it lacked moisture for a shower room. The ventilation system was astonishing, wherever it was.

Aedyndel squatted beside her, amused. "Innovative, isn't it?" he asked, sweeping his own hand along the surface. "The guild had it soaked and polished with some Goblin-made fluid I found in Gadgetzan. Hyper absorbent and much cheaper than paying the same group to install a drainage system." The elf puffed his chest a bit proudly.

"Wow, it sure takes someone so super smart to find something like that," Jesika commented, oddly chipper.

"That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

"I'm surprised you weren't too busy jerking yourself off to notice."

Theron snickered. "She is a bit crass when she is tired."

"Then I suppose I'll show you to your rooms." Aedyndel stood. "There are three exits-slash-entrances," he explained. "There's that one we just used, that provides access to the Cleft; there's one straight ahead, opposite us, that provides access to our indoor training arena; and there's a third and final door at the top of these stairs-" Aedyndel gestured to a staircase built into the right side wall, nestled between the two shower stalls. "-that gives access to what I'm sure will be Jesika's favourite right now: the bedrooms."

"I feel like you're alluding to something dirty right now and, somehow, I'm too tired to care."

"Don't encourage him, Jesika…"

Aedyndel laughed. "Lighten up, Theron."

This time it was Jesika who stifled laughter. Both brothers stared inquisitively. "Get it?" she asked. "LIGHTen, up?"

Aedyndel and Theron snorted and groaned, respectively.

While Jes was still subtly snort-laughing at her own pun, Theron pleaded to his brother; "Please show her to her room before I learn anything more about the sleep-deprived side of her personality."

^v^v^v^

Aedyndel, though very thoroughly amused by Jesika's antics, obliged to his brother's request without protest. He started up the steps, only to pause at the sound of whining. The rogue turned to see Jesika's puppy, Duke, as he heard her say, sitting at the bottom step, unwilling to go on. Despite her exhaustion, the human picked him up with a sigh and carried him up to the top of the stairs like a baby, where he assumed she would set him down. However, Jesika seemed to ponder a moment before hitching him into a more comfortable position. Aedyndel raised his eyebrows.

He could see now, why Theron insisted that she join the hunters; not too long ago, she was sleep walking and about to collapse, and yet, when the pup finally lost its strength as well, she mustered whatever energy she had left to care for him. Jesika's love for her pet was palpable, but her perception and skills… she picked up on his apprentices before even Theron knew what was amiss… and escaped all four- five if he included himself. Aedyndel's pride still stung from losing her, but it was clear that she had talent and he would not let that be squandered by turning her into a hunter. He decided to speak with Theron when the time came.

As Aedyndel stepped through the doorway and began his tour of the barracks, Jesika seemed to get more and more distant. Her eyes became dull and their lids drooped- she needed rest. He could tell in the way she carried herself that she would stay on her feet as long as needed, without complaint, so he swiftly guided her into her room.

"And, here we are," he said, finally. The blood elf watched as Jesika stood still for a moment, absent, before eventually meandering over to her bed and placing Duke on the mattress. She was far away… just going through the motions of getting settled, that much was obvious- at least to him.

"Jesika, would you like to eat before resting?" Theron asked, well-meaning.

No answer.

"...Jesika?"

Again, no answer.

"Jesika." he said, more firmly this time.

"Theron," Aedyndel murmured, "leave her be. It's too much right now. She's getting overwhelmed."

Just as Theron was about to speak his rebuttal, Duke stirred. They both watched as the unusually large puppy lumbered over to his mistress and pressed his nose to her cheek. When she didn't respond, he licked, and kept licking until she came back.

"Jesika?" Theron asked for the fourth time, more tender now. He reached for her.

Jesika looked to suddenly realize what was happening and withdrew from his touch. "I need to sleep," she said plainly.

"What about-" Theron was cut off as Jes began to usher them both out of the room and slowly shut the door.

"Thank you for the room and the tour, but I'm very tired and must rest. Goodnight."

"But it's only-"

The door shut, along with his protests.

Theron stood in silent shock outside of Jesika's room, much to Aedyndel's amusement.

"What's so funny?" the hunter snapped.

"You know… for 50 years old, you're still pretty naive, little brother," Aedyndel commented as he strode toward the doorway to the Common Area.

"How on Azeroth do you mean?!"

"You've still yet to figure out when a woman wants to be left alone."

Theron sputtered and stomped after his brother.


End file.
